Wikileaks Could Quicken Demise of GNU

THE recent WikiLeaks cable releases could have afforded President Robert Mugabe ammunition to call for elections next year, with his main argument that his coalition partner, Morgan Tsvangirai was in bed with the West.

For years now, Mugabe has claimed that Tsvangirai was a pliant tool for Britain and America and revelations that the Prime Minister called for the West to maintain sanctions against Zimbabwe will only strengthen the veteran leader's resolve to hold elections.

The removal of sanctions is listed as one of the priority issues in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and hawks in Mugabe's Zanu PF party are already screaming treason and are using the cables as an excuse to call for the end of the inclusive government.

Political analysts last week told The Standard that the leaked cables were fitting well into Zanu PF's agenda and they would use them to confront the government.

Trevor Maisiri said Zanu PF would now use the cables as an excuse to call for the end of the inclusive government charging that they were getting rid of imperialist influences in the government.

"Zanu PF will obviously see these leaks as a bonus to their already rubber-stamped position of early elections," he said.

"What Zanu PF may then do is craft their message upon the urgency of having election so as to retire the MDC-T out of government and thereby ensure that there is a blockade of the USA influence in Zimbabwean affairs."

Maisiri said on that basis Mugabe and his party were likely to heighten calls for elections based on the notion that MDC-T was an insincere party.

He said it was likely that Zanu PF would soon start approaching former liberation movements with the message that the MDC-T was a Western puppet and it had to be gotten rid of so as to stave off imperialism within the region.

Tsvangirai has often gone against leaders in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) describing them as toothless bulldogs.

University lecturer and political analyst, Lawton Hikwa said what had come out of the cables was a matter of concern that ought to be handled with care.

"If not handled properly it can create a wedge between the major parties particularly the MDC-T and Zanu PF," he said.

Hikwa said it was no secret that the government had not worked nor achieved what it was originally meant to and this could justify its termination.

Despite the matter of sanctions being topical, Hikwa said he doubted if it could accelerate the death of the inclusive government.

However, he and Mhlanga were not in agreement on the tenure of the inclusive government, with Hikwa saying he thought all the parties wanted it to end.

Mhlanga on the other hand said despite the posturing, politicians across the divide wanted the inclusive government to be maintained.